Marcus Rashford
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Marcus Rashford has enjoyed a much-needed resurgence since his January loan move to Aston Villa, rediscovering form and focus under Unai Emery after his situation at Manchester United became untenable.
The move followed a steep decline in form at Old Trafford, where Rashford looked a shadow of the player who scored 30+ goals during the 2022/23 campaign under Erik ten Hag.
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Having lost his edge and swagger, United boss Ruben Amorim made the bold call to omit Rashford from 11 of his first 12 matchday squads, signalling the beginning of the end.
The loan to Villa Park provided a lifeline, and Rashford responded well.
The Englishman registered four goals and six assists across 17 appearances.
However, a hamstring injury sustained in April has ruled him out of recent games and could mean he’s played his final minutes for the Midlands club.
Marcus Rashford unwilling to take pay cut ahead of summer window
Now, Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst reports that United fully expect Rashford to leave the club this summer and have no plans to reintegrate him into the squad for next season.
The 27-year-old is available for £40m, but Aston Villa do not have first refusal.
One of the key stumbling blocks in facilitating a transfer is Rashford’s current wage.
Sources, as per MEN, are confirming he is unwilling to take a pay cut on his £325,000-per-week salary.
This narrows down the list of potential destinations, though Rashford’s desire to play in the Champions League limits the options even further.
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He’s not interested in joining a London-based side and is thought to be drawn to a move abroad, with Barcelona and PSG among the clubs previously linked.
Barcelona continue to remain interested, while PSG held talks with Rashford’s brother, Dwaine Maynard, back in 2022.
United expect Rashford to return for pre-season, potentially creating a situation not unlike last summer’s stand-off with Jadon Sancho.
If no deal is struck quickly, a late-window departure remains likely.
Despite the uncertainty, those close to Rashford say he has “never been happier” than during his spell at Villa, where he has flourished both on and off the pitch.
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